Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering • Tuscaloosa, Alabama • Campus • $438/Credit (In-State, incl. fees, derived)
The University of Alabama offers 1 construction management pathway:
- B.S. in Construction Engineering
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $54.8K in-state / $153K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters) | 125 |
Tuition estimates use UA’s 2026-27 flat-rate semester tuition, overload charges, and the $49-per-credit technology/infrastructure fee.
The University of Alabama’s B.S. in Construction Engineering (BSConE) is an engineering degree first. It is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, requires calculus through differential equations plus two calculus-based physics courses, and points graduates toward the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. That is the route to a Professional Engineer (PE) license, which a construction management degree does not open.
The trade-off is field experience. The current catalog lists no internship or co-op course. Work experience comes through UA’s optional three-semester co-op program, so students must seek it out. Alabama A&M’s construction management B.S., by contrast, builds a 12-week internship into the degree.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.S. in Construction Engineering |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Tuscaloosa main campus (CCEE department, H.M. Comer Hall) |
| Credit Hours | 125 |
| Math Sequence | Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations (MATH 125, 126, 227, 238) |
| Internship | Not required; optional three-semester co-op through UA’s Engineering Career Development Center |
| Programmatic Accreditation | ABET EAC (Construction and similarly named engineering programs); not ACCE |
| Software Taught | Not clearly stated |
| Industry Certifications | None embedded; FE exam strongly encouraged the semester before graduation |
| Graduate Pathway | Accelerated bachelor’s/master’s into the M.S. in Civil Engineering (3.7 GPA, 90 UA credits) |
| Tuition | $5,959/semester in-state, $17,962 out-of-state (12-16 credits), plus $49/credit fee |
B.S. in Construction Engineering
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Construction Engineering at the University of Alabama is approximately $54,777 in-state (125 credits at a derived $438.22/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The official program is the Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering, offered by the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering.
B.S. Curriculum
The 125 credits split into 69 major credits, 37 ancillary math, science, and writing credits, and 19 general education credits. The major is an even split: 10 construction courses (31 credits) and 10 engineering-science courses (31 credits).
- Math and science: Calculus I-III, Differential Equations, two calculus-based physics courses, General Chemistry, and a 4-credit approved science elective (31 credits).
- Engineering mechanics: Statics, Mechanics of Materials, Dynamics, and Engineering Statistics.
- Civil engineering core: Engineering Geomatics, Civil Engineering Materials, Intro to Structural Engineering, and a 4-credit Geotechnical Engineering course.
- Design elective (choose 1): Reinforced Concrete, Structural Steel, Wood Structural Design, or Foundation Engineering.
- Construction methods: Horizontal Construction Methods (fall only) and Vertical Construction Methods (spring only).
- Cost and time: Construction Cost Estimating (spring only) and Construction Scheduling (fall only).
- Management and practice: Engineering Management, Information Systems Design, Safety Engineering, and Lean and Sustainable Construction.
- Professional practice elective: one of Legal Environment of Business, Technical Writing, Legal Writing, Business Writing, Business Communication, or U.S. Legal History.
- Capstone: CE 404 Capstone Design: Construction Engineering Building (4 credits), taken at UA only.
Construction coursework starts late. CE 366 Intro to Construction Engineering is the gateway to every construction course, and the flowchart places it in the junior year. The first two years are almost entirely math, physics, and mechanics. Contract law is not required; it appears only as one option in the professional practice elective.
You Should Know
- Four senior construction courses run once a year (two fall, two spring), so a failed or skipped course can delay graduation by a year.
- Both freshman semesters carry 17 credits, one over UA’s 16-credit flat-rate cap.
- Software instruction is not named in the catalog or flowchart.
- Students get a maximum of two attempts per College of Engineering course, excluding withdrawals.
More curriculum details are available here.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship or co-op course appears in the 2026-27 degree requirements.
- Optional co-op: three paid work semesters, in traditional alternating, year-long, or back-to-back formats.
- Co-op eligibility: 2.5 UA GPA; freshmen must finish two semesters and 24 credits before working.
- Co-op cost: a non-credit, 12-hour placeholder course at $264 per work semester keeps full-time status.
- Placement support: UA’s Engineering Career Development Center runs co-op interview days and a professional internship program.
- Named construction employers: Not clearly stated.
Because field experience is optional, job-readiness depends on the student. A completed co-op adds three work terms but typically pushes graduation past four years. Students who skip it graduate with an engineering transcript and little job-site time, which matters for field-based first jobs like assistant project manager.
You Should Know
- UA’s 2006 launch announcement described a required internship or co-op before the senior year. The current catalog does not include one.
- Co-op students cannot receive federal financial aid during work semesters.
B.S. Admissions
There is no separate engineering application; students apply to UA and enter through the Freshman Engineering Program.
- New freshmen and new transfers start in the Freshman Engineering Program.
- The flowchart starts Calculus I in the first fall, so students need placement at that level to stay on the 8-semester plan.
- ENGR 104 requires MATH 112 or higher as a prerequisite.
- Prerequisite courses need a C- or better.
- Transfers can bring a maximum of 12 credits of 300/400-level courses; the capstone cannot be transferred.
- Minimum GPA or test scores for engineering: Not clearly stated.
Tuition
UA charges a flat $5,959 per semester for Alabama residents and $17,962 for nonresidents taking 12-16 credits in fall 2026 and spring 2027. Each credit over 16 adds $490 (resident) or $1,580 (nonresident). A $49-per-credit technology/infrastructure fee is billed separately.
| Cost Item | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate tuition (8 semesters) | $47,672 | $143,696 |
| Overload (2 credits over 16) | $980 | $3,160 |
| Technology/infrastructure fee (125 × $49) | $6,125 | $6,125 |
| Estimated total | $54,777 | $152,981 |
| Effective per credit (derived) | $438.22 | $1,223.85 |
Totals assume the published 8-semester flowchart (17, 17, 16, 16, 15, 16, 15, 13 credits) at 2026-27 rates.
Be aware that:
- Undergraduates taking 9 or more campus credits are billed $350 per semester for a Dining Dollars account.
- Course fees apply to some required courses: $8 (ENGR 101), $5 (ENGR 104), $40 each for CH 101, PH 105, and PH 106, plus $85 and $90 for certain CE 262 and CE 340 sections. That is about $308 if every fee applies.
- Each co-op work semester costs $264.
- Any semester under 12 credits switches to per-credit billing, which can cost more per credit.
- ⚠️ The $399-per-credit rate on UA Online pages is the distance-learning rate. It does not apply to this campus-only degree.
- Tuition is set each June by the UA System Board of Trustees and is likely to rise over four years.
The flat rate rewards full loads. A student who stays at 12-16 credits pays the same tuition for 12 credits as for 16, so the realistic all-in cost for an Alabama resident is about $55K plus dining dollars and course fees. Nonresidents pay nearly three times as much, which makes in-state status the biggest cost variable. See UA’s official tuition page.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students who want an engineering license option and are strong enough in math to handle calculus through differential equations.
Versus Alabama A&M: Alabama A&M’s construction management B.S. also teaches statics, strength of materials, and structural design, but its math stops at Calculus I and it is not ABET or ACCE accredited. AAMU requires a 12-week internship and a two-semester industry-presented capstone. UA trades that built-in field time for ABET EAC accreditation and an FE/PE route.
Versus a CM degree: Auburn and Tuskegee hold Alabama’s ACCE-accredited construction degrees. Students who want estimating, contracts, and business coursework without heavy math will find more management depth in an ACCE program. UA is the better fit for heavy civil, infrastructure, and public-agency careers where an engineering degree is expected.
Who should look elsewhere: working adults and career changers. The degree is campus-only, full-time, and sequenced around once-a-year courses.
Accreditation and Credentials
The University of Alabama is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). That status supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit acceptance at other institutions.
The B.S. in Construction Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Construction and similarly named engineering programs. It is not ACCE accredited; ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13) names only Auburn and Tuskegee in Alabama. ABET EAC accreditation is the standard state engineering boards use for licensure.
The program strongly encourages students to take the FE exam the semester before graduation. Under the NCEES Model Law, a graduate who passes becomes an engineer intern, the first step toward a PE license. UA embeds no construction industry certifications such as OSHA 30 or the AIC Associate Constructor exam.